Method and apparatus for acquiring image data from a subject using a magnetic resonance sequence having an adiabatic radio-frequency

Abstract

In a method and apparatus for acquiring magnetic resonance image data of an object by execution of a magnetic resonance data acquisition sequence that includes at least one adiabatic radio-frequency pulse, at least one parameter for the object under investigation is acquired that is specific to the object under investigation. At least one pulse parameter of the at least one adiabatic radio-frequency pulse is adjusted using the at least one parameter for the object under investigation. Magnetic resonance image data of the object under investigation are acquired by execution of the magnetic resonance sequence, using the at least one adiabatic radio-frequency pulse with the adjusted at least one pulse parameter.

I claim as my invention: 
     
       1. A method for acquiring magnetic resonance data from an object, comprising:
 providing a computer with an electronic designation of at least one parameter of an object that is specific to the object; 
 in said computer, using said at least one parameter that is specific to the object to adjust at least one pulse parameter of an adiabatic radio-frequency pulse in a magnetic resonance data acquisition sequence that will be executed by a magnetic resonance scanner in order to acquire magnetic resonance data from the object; and 
 from said computer, operating said magnetic resonance scanner to acquire said magnetic resonance data from the object using the adiabatic radio-frequency pulse with the adjusted at least one pulse parameter, and making the acquired image data available from the computer in electronic form as a data file. 
 
     
     
       2. A method as claimed in  claim 1  comprising providing said data file to a reconstruction processor and, in said reconstruction processor, applying an image reconstruction algorithm to said magnetic resonance data in said data file to reconstruct an image of the object. 
     
     
       3. A method as claimed in  claim 1  comprising adjusting an amplitude of said adiabatic radio-frequency pulse, as said at least one pulse parameter. 
     
     
       4. A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said adiabatic radio-frequency pulse has a frequency sweep associated therewith, and adjusting at least one of a duration of said frequency sweep and a bandwidth of said frequency sweep, as said at least one pulse parameter. 
     
     
       5. A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said magnetic resonance scanner comprises a basic field magnet that generates a basic magnetic field during acquisition of said magnetic resonance data, and wherein said adiabatic radio-frequency pulse contributes to generation of a radio-frequency field during acquisition of said magnetic resonance data, and wherein said basic magnetic field has a basic magnetic field distribution and said radio-frequency field has a radio-frequency field distribution, and wherein said adiabatic radio-frequency pulse has an insensitivity to an insensitivity range of variations in at least one of said basic magnetic field distribution and said radio-frequency field distribution, and comprising adjusting said insensitivity range, as said at least one pulse parameter, dependent on said at least one parameter of said object. 
     
     
       6. A method as claimed in  claim 5  comprising providing said computer with an electronic designation of said basic magnetic field distribution that is specific to the object, as said at least one parameter of the object. 
     
     
       7. A method as claimed in  claim 5  comprising providing said computer with an electronic designation of said radio-frequency field distribution that is specific to the object, as said at least one parameter of the object. 
     
     
       8. A method as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said magnetic resonance scanner comprises a radio-frequency transmitter via which said adiabatic radio-frequency pulse is emitted during the acquisition of said magnetic resonance data, and comprising providing said computer with an electronic designation of a transmitter voltage of said transmitter that is specific to the object, as said parameter of the object. 
     
     
       9. A method as claimed in  claim 1  comprising providing said computer with an electronic designation of a specific absorption rate reserve that is specific to the object, as said at least one parameter of the object. 
     
     
       10. A method as claimed in  claim 9  wherein said magnetic resonance scanner comprises a basic field magnet that generates a basic magnetic field during acquisition of said magnetic resonance data, and wherein said adiabatic radio-frequency pulse contributes to generation of a radio-frequency field during acquisition of said magnetic resonance data, and wherein said basic magnetic field has a basic magnetic field distribution and said radio-frequency field has a radio-frequency field distribution, and wherein said adiabatic radio-frequency pulse has an insensitivity to an insensitivity range of variations in at least one of said basic magnetic field distribution and said radio-frequency field distribution, and comprising adjusting said insensitivity range, as said at least one pulse parameter, dependent on said at least one parameter of said object, and comprising adjusting said at least one pulse parameter by executing an algorithm in said computer that adjusts said insensitivity range to said SAR reserve wherein, in said algorithm, a higher specific absorption rate reserve causes an increase in said insensitivity range. 
     
     
       11. A magnetic resonance apparatus comprising:
 a magnetic resonance scanner; 
 a computer provided with an electronic designation of at least one parameter of an object that is specific to an object from which magnetic resonance data are to be acquired; 
 said computer being configured to use said at least one parameter that is specific to the object to adjust at least one pulse parameter of an adiabatic radio-frequency pulse in a magnetic resonance data acquisition sequence that will be executed by the magnetic resonance scanner in order to acquire magnetic resonance data from the object; and 
 said computer being configured to operate said magnetic resonance scanner to acquire said magnetic resonance data from the object using the adiabatic radio-frequency pulse with the adjusted at least one pulse parameter, and to make the acquired image data available from the computer in electronic form as a data file. 
 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory, computer-readable data storage medium encoded with programming instructions, said storage medium being loaded into a computer of a magnetic resonance apparatus that comprises a magnetic resonance scanner, and said programming instructions causing said computer to:
 receive an electronic designation of at least one parameter of an object that is specific to the object from which magnetic resonance data are to be acquired; 
 use said at least one parameter that is specific to the object to adjust at least one pulse parameter of an adiabatic radio-frequency pulse in a magnetic resonance data acquisition sequence that will be executed by the magnetic resonance scanner in order to acquire said magnetic resonance data from the object; and 
 operate said magnetic resonance scanner to acquire said magnetic resonance data from the object using the adiabatic radio-frequency pulse with the adjusted at least one pulse parameter, and make the acquired image data available from the computer in electronic form as a data file.